Nubby, Felt Goodness

Isn't this rug adorable? Hand-felted by Nepalese artists, embroidered and as you can see,  looks great on any floor!

Gray, White and Yellow

Gray is always a popular color for the home and in design in general. It's such a clean, crisp look...modern and traditional at the same. It's also the perfect backdrop for adding pops of color, like the coverlet you see above. Miss Katrin, a fan of Scandinavian design, has recently overhauled her home for a cleaner look. Her once colorful rooms are gone and shades of white now grace most of her little cottage home. Her cat Maisey also has really great taste. She's perched on top of that beautiful, hand-embroidered coverlet like she owns it. Cats are funny like that aren't they? They think they own everything!

Trending Global

As a long-time fan of global textiles, it's exciting to see the trend coming into the mainstream. The May issue of Paper magazine had a look put together by fashion editor Martha Violante with styling assisted by Kelly Govekar. Martha explained her look as this:

 "I've been daydreaming about all the traveling that I hope to be doing this summer......I wanted to channel that girl who's been around the world and back, collecting jewelry, clothes and knick knacks along the way." 


Doesn't that fit me to a T? As I've mentioned many times before, I was an Army brat and that traveling bug has never left me. It's part of why I started The Loaded Trunk, to share all the treasures I find in my travels. To replicate this look, I've pulled a few pieces from my shop. One thing you have to remember in pulling off this is look is to have no fear. Don't be afraid to mix patterns, textures, colors and styles. Sometimes we get stuck in a rut and worry about things matching all the time, but bohemian style is about more, more, and more. The more comfortable you get with it, the easier it will be to achieve this look. Let's get started!

First, I grabbed some dresses from my imaginary on-line closet from here, here and here. These are all great because they're soft and flowy and a wide print belt would add some definition to the waist line and another level of texture and color.

Now, we'll layer it up and add some Loaded Trunk styling. I'll start with the belt, it was the most striking thing for me because it reminded me of the vintage skirt borders I picked up from Laos. They're hand-embroidered and traditionally sewn onto a long, solid skirt, but I've doubled it around my neck for a looped scarf and for this look, as an intricate belt.

The Loaded Trunk: Vintage Skirt Borders, Laos, $95

Next, we'll be adding some jewelry. I come across the most amazing beads, amulets and stones on my travels. Pictures won't ever really do them justice, things just feel so much nicer in your hands. The beads have deeply rich histories and cultures and I can't help but feel that when I'm wearing them. Layering and excess are key.

The Loaded Trunk: Brilliant Bangles, hand-made resin, $10 each
Stackable Bohemian Bracelet Trio, $95
Quartet of Bohemian Bracelets, $145

The Loaded Trunk: Sterling Silver Geometric Bracelet, India, $225 each

The Loaded Trunk: Gypsy Lapis, Afghan and Thai, $195
Gypsy Spirit Necklace, Afghan and Oaxacan, $95
Paradise Found, Afghan and African, $275
Ancient Fringe, Uzbek and Afghan, $175

Finally, I pulled some bowler bags made from vintage Kantha quilts and an embroidered Hmong clutch to finish the look. All these prints, colors and textures are certainly over-the-top but a global traveler has to be fearless, doesn't she? 

The Loaded Trunk: Vintage Kantha Bowler Bag, India, $120
Vintage Hmong Clutch, $30

Salt Service

Before salt and pepper shakers made an appearance on dinner tables in the 1950s, salt was served in an an open vessel, also known as a salt cellar. True salt cellars have lids to keep moisture out of the once highly valuable commodity, but today's salt cellars are usually lidless. Cellars have been coming back to the dinner table though, in a variety of materials, stone, marble, pewter, glass, porcelain and wood. I keep a small jar of kosher salt with a regular spoon next to my stove for cooking, but when guests come for dinner, I pull out the fanciest little bowl for my salt service and of course, the fanciest spoon to go with it. These itty bitty, hammered brass spoons would be a lovely accent to any salt cellar, don't you think? How do you serve your salt at the dinner table?

Treasure Box

Originally used for storing betel nuts, these silver-plated, hand-made orbs are exquisite displayed on their own or used to store jewelry. How surprised and ecstatic would you be to open this treasure box to find a ring, earrings or a necklace inside? Since we're in full wedding season, these would be perfect for a proposal or as gifts for your bridesmaids. Measuring less than 2" per piece, each one is a delicate work of art. All the jewelry pictured above is vintage: a gold, diamond and jade ring, a faux-gold rose link bracelet and a pair of green clip-on earrings. You can find the Vietnamese-made Akha Silver Treasure Boxes here.